The NHL and NHLPA today formally announced that the U.S. media rights to the '16 World Cup of Hockey have been awarded to ESPN, with Canadian English-language rights going to Sportsnet and French-language media rights to TVA Sports. For ESPN, the deal makes it the exclusive net for all tournament games on TV and radio, with most games set to appear on ESPN and ESPN2. The net will also provide live access to coverage through WatchESPN. Sportsnet and TVA also have exclusive rights to all tournament games across TV, online and mobile. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman addressed the fact that the league and NHLPA signed a deal with ESPN rather than NBC, which signed a 10-year, $2B deal for the league’s TV rights in '11. “We have a terrific relationship with NBC Sports and we love the way they cover our game,” said Bettman. “They were involved in the process but it became clear in the course of negotiations that they have scheduling issues, and it made sense to be partnered with ESPN in this regard.” An NBC spokesperson said, “As the home of hockey in the U.S., which includes rights to the NHL through 2021, the World Championships through 2017 and the Winter Olympics through 2030, we were interested in working with our partners again, but this event proved challenging due to programming commitments.” The spokesperson cited conflicts with NASCAR, F1, Notre Dame football, PGA Tour, Ryder Cup and Paralympics.
